An amateur magician himself, Tony Curtis delivers one of the best performances of his career as the legendary escape artist, in this 1953 biopic. The film faithfully chronicles Houdini's career from sideshow attraction to international stardom, re-creating several of his most death-defying escapes, from dangling from a skyscraper upside down in a straitjacket to a harrowing plunge into the frozen Detroit River while locked in a trunk. Costar Janet Leigh (Curtis's wife) brings real-life chemistry to the role of stage assistant and supportive wife Bess Houdini.